loudly that captain Dull had certainly taken a wrong course, no person being able to remember such scenery as was then visible, though several had made the voyage. In such a declaration, however, they spoke at random, for the islands they must have seen and passed by, though in the distance; the fact was that the upper edge of the river, instead of the lower was navigated, as I afterwards heard; and as Mr. Dull had been the voyage only once before, he knew no better, for the remarkable phenomenon of two tides constantly running in this river, one up on one shore, and one down on the other, and a regular change taking place every eleven hours, or thereabouts, confused Mr. Dull on first setting out; and once wrong he kept wrong; for having no pilot on board, he would not take orders of his men.

We were now, however, advancing into the very centre of Slave Bay, having passed Choke Islands, as I mentioned, and the deep and heavy billows of the Dead Sea rolled towards our vessel in a fearful and swelling succession. The ladies on board, as well as the children, were in consequence, ill of sea-sickness from the heaving and pitching of the barge; and I, who had all along kept up my spirits and held my presence of mind, began to be alarmed. But still endeavouring to keep my fears to myself, lest my husband should have been more excited and agitated in his weak state of health than he was. I watched our captain's countenance in silence, and I evidently saw distress, perplexity, nay, despair written on it. I returned to my cabin, for a thought struck me—it was to look in my map to see what countries lay before Slave Bay. Having found that they were deserts bounded by the ocean on one side, and some large country on the other, I thought of a plan which I forthwith put into execution, before I said one word on the subject to Mr. Markwell. I had, though but a poor navigator, remarked that if things of any light consistency caught a certain current, they swam on to these strange waters. For instance, the wind once blew off my bonnet and my tortoiseshell comb also fell out of my head, and both floated onwards on the waves. But dead animals thrown in, and offal, and rubbish of all sorts clung to the vessel, and when the air was warm, I used to fancy they sent forth a stench of putridity. However, as I said before, other things if they were blown in about twenty or thirty feet to the leeward, swam right on in the direction of the Slave Lake or Bay. Having made these obser

vations during several days successively, I went down to my husband's cabin, for he was too unwell to leave it for more than a half-hour's walk, and communicated my ideas. I said, I feared that the poor captain was perplexed and dismayed-that I really thought he knew not either how to navigate these dangerous seas, or which course to take, and that a Mr. Rashtongue on board, had sworn he would throw him overboard, and take the command himself, as he was a midshipman in the service of the United States of Knowledge-that I had heard it whispered among the crew that the provisions on board would only last another month, the voyage being always made in less than four weeks, but now the vessel was so much out of course she might be hemmed in for two months, and that, in consequence, it might be three before it reached Jezebella, if ever it should hold out so long. I then asked Mr. Markwell what he proposed doing.

"Doing!" exclaimed he, "I would sooner throw myself into that putrid sea, than be shut up in this filthy vessel another fortnight. Why Magdalena you have no pity for me, you have no idea how I suffer, &c. I am stifled for want of air, and then when I open the window the effluvia is such that I am obliged to shut it again ;—I have no appetite; can relish nothing I eat ; my arm is very sore; and I am ill all over my body; I have never recovered that plunge into the water. O this fatal voyage !” and here he shed tears like a child.

I could not help crying too, to see his weak state of health, and taking his hand in mine, I said; "now dearest, if I had thought of a plan to get out of this vessel to the shore, and things turned out wrong, or ill, would you lay the blame on me ?”

"O speak out, dear Magdalena," exclaimed he, "any thing is better than this barge, even slavery itself."

"Why, my love" I answered "you have comforts here; you have a room to yourself, and a good bed-and❞—

"Enough, enough," interrupted he, "the question is, as to what I have not, and not as to what I have, tell me your plan, if you can but hit upon any way of getting to the land."

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"There is then I answered, as you may see on the map, a large bay running round the islands near which we are. A lake runs close to the other side of the bay, and this is called Slave Lake, beyond are the deserts of Sin, or Zin, as my book calls

them, and I think we might manage to get to the sea coast and hire a vessel to take us to some civilized port."

"Good, very good," cried Mr. Markwell," and what are we to do for clothes and provisions ?"

"Ah," I replied, that is the question; now with regard to clothes, I propose tying up several bundles of useful things, and getting you to throw them with your best arm to a great distance, so that this pitching vessel may not suck them to its sides, and these bundles, will, I think, be carried to the shores of the lake;-we will then ask Mr. Dull to let his small boat convey ourselves, servants and children to the same spot and there land. I consider our lives in danger, or I should be far from recommending so dangerous an experiment, but I do think certain death awaits. the people here, either by starvation or by shipwreck."

"Magdalena,” replied my husband "it's well you have hit upon this plan, for I was resolved in my own mind I would not stay in this vessel much longer,-you understand me,” said he, looking earnestly in my face.-I did understand but too well, that he would either have fretted himself out of the world, or have fallen into some rash deed ;-I however turned the subject, and recommended his putting aside the articles he would most require for his use, which he did, and he and I tied up several bundles and threw them as far as we could to catch the stream which flowed into Slave Bay. Great part of the night we were so employed, and at day break I ran on deck, and looking through my telescope, had the delight to see my white bundles lying among the weeds of the shore.

The next point was to speak to the captain, and my husband having arranged his dress, and taken a few drops of Elixir of Lovelife in water, a very reviving medicine, he went on deck, and calling the gentlemen together, told them, he intended to go on shore, he also asked Captain Dull to let him have a couple of sailors, and the small boat to take himself and family to land. Mr. Dull was a kindly disposed man, and immediately agreed, perhaps glad to be relieved of part of his cargo,—but the spirit of opposition was on board, and these gentlemen, who in fair weather had been polite, now in the hour of danger shewed their real characters: one remarked that no passenger ought to be allowed to stir;-that all the party ought to share the same dangers. "Well! gentlemen," said my husband "you are as much at

liberty to land as I am, but it is a wild, desert country, and of course you will take your chance in it."

"And what are you going to do there?" was a question asked by several voices.

"That is not your affair," retorted my husband.

Hereupon high words ensued, and I feared Mr. Markwell's passion might get the better of his prudence. I therefore ventured to speak, and said, "Why gentlemen, my husband is in so delicate a state of health, that he cannot remain longer on board, and we are willing to make you a present of all the property we have with us, and to leave amongst you the right of our cabin and comforts to be allowed to leave the vessel. We are willing to run all risks on shore, and only ask for a share of the provisions for two or three day's support. We have a carriage, as you know, and several trunks filled with valuable articles."

Mr. Usury, the old gentleman who was casting up his accounts, when I spoke to him on setting off from Stifle Town, now remarked that what we required was reasonable enough. Mr. Rashtongue here whispered to several of the party, and at length they gave the captain leave to order out the small boat, into which they put an old seaman, who was ill of the ague, and a lad, who had been three times flogged for contempt of orders on this voyage. My nurses and man servant all flatly refused to stir with me to a dreary land, but a poor little girl about fourteen, whose mother was a strolling actress, and had brought the child up to the theatre as a dancer, came towards me and with tears in her eyes, offered to be my maid. I was touched with the girl's request, and bid her jump into the boat, which she did. The selfish people on board would not let me take even a night dress for myself or children, they said we had bargained to leave every thing and we had no right to the least article of our property. They threw in the boat two dozen of hard biscuits, and two bottles of wine, and with this provision we were forced to be content. My spaniel I asked for, as we were leaving the vessel, and some one maliciously took up the poor brute, and threw him into the water, and because the boatswain's wife cried, Shame! they pushed her in after the dog. I seized the poor woman's gown, as she fell, and liked, by the exertion, to have upset the boat, however she was saved, and we made a shift to squeeze her in amongst us. We had moved a few yards from the

vessel when I heard a great shout and clapping of hands, and then a plunge. I turned quickly round but could see nothing, however, old Jebus the seaman said it was Captain Dull whom they had thus served, and that the shouting was the electing Mr. Rashtongue in his place. But, said I, if the vessel should arrive safe in Jezebella will the parties not be punished for this deed? "Why, aye, replied the old man, if they could make out exactly who did it, but as they all joined, they will make their own story good,-besides they cannot hang all, and what's every body's business is nobody's." Our attention was now drawn to poor Mr. Dull, who rose up among these deadly waters struggling for life, he caught sight of our boat, and seemed trying to swim towards it. I threw the poor fellow out two long sashes which I took from my girls' waist and tied together; he caught the ribbon, one end of which I twisted round my hand.-Our little bark now rose on, and then sank in the billows, one minute we were almost swallowed up, another we were settling on the top of the surf, as an insect in a flood of grease. At length we reached the miserable shores of this inhospitable land, and on stepping out of the boat among the rank, poisonous, and unwholesome weeds, we turned to give another look at the vessel, but she was gone.

CHAPTER III.

Magdalena and Family gain the Shore-Judgement Gulf-The Deserts of Sin-Drownthought River · Awful Sounds heard and terrific nights passed in these Deserts-Description of the Inhabitants of these partsThe party are surprised and taken by the Natives, and brought into Brute Town-Publicly sold as Slaves-Madalena's Trials, &c., on parting with her children-Her Confinement with a male infant-Description of Brute Town Proper-Bitter Herb, (wormwood) here forms the drink for enabling mothers to suckle their infants-Magdalena's Purchasers, (Joktan and his Wife Dinah) set out on a Journey to sell their Merchandize— Caravanseries. Their approach to the Land of Superstition-Character of the Children.

THE old man and boy were sadly disappointed at finding the trick that had been played upon them. Poor old Jebus sat on the shore and cried, while the boy, after the first shock was over,